Castr vs StreamYard
We give Castr a 2.4 GPA and StreamYard a 2.0, out of 4.0. Castr grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Castr
Multistreaming, video hosting and 24/7 playout in one service
StreamYard
Browser-based studio for live streaming and recording with guests
How we grade them
| 2.4GPACastrFair | 2.0GPAStreamYardFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BStarter is $16.67 a month billed annually ($199.99 a year, $19.99 by the month) and streams to 6 destinations, enough for three platforms. That's level with Restream and Ecamm, well under StreamYard's Core, and it includes hosting and a paywall. | DCore is $35.99 a month billed yearly, $44.99 by the month, against a $10 middle for this category. 4K recordings, transcript downloads and On-Air webinars need Advanced at $68.99, and both plans are for individual use only. |
| Free plan and trial | CNo free plan, but a 7-day free trial of Starter with no credit card. The other plans go straight to checkout. | CThe free plan gives you the essential studio, 6 people on screen and 2 hours of local recordings a month, but it stamps a StreamYard logo on the stream and won't let you stream live and record at once. Paid plans have a 7-day trial. |
| Features | CMultistreaming to 30 destinations, hosting, a player, cloud recording, 24/7 playout and a paywall on every plan. The gaps: you bring the encoder, as the browser Cloud Production switcher is enabled by Castr on request, and recordings are kept up to three days. | CIt does the live-show job fully: guests by link, multistreaming to six platforms and custom RTMP, separate local recordings, overlays, webinars, pre-recorded video streamed as live. But editing is trimming into clips, and 4K and transcripts need Advanced. |
| Ease of use | CNo App Store rating on record. You set up an encoder such as OBS or a camera, add each destination and embed the player, which takes some know-how. | CNo store rating on record. Guests join from a link with nothing to install, which is the easy half. Your half means connecting streaming accounts and building layouts, overlays and intros before you go live. |
| Platforms and integrations | BA web service with no desktop or phone app listed. It sends to YouTube, Facebook, Twitch and LinkedIn, takes RTMP, SRT, RTSP and HLS input from OBS or cameras, and has an API on Premium. | BA browser app and nothing else, with no desktop or phone app listed, but it streams to YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, X, Twitch and custom RTMP, and guests can join from a phone. |
| Best for | multistreaming plus hosting your own video | live shows with remote guests |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Castr and StreamYard. How we grade
Where they differ
- Castr starts at $16.67 per month, billed annually ($19.99 billed monthly). StreamYard starts at $35.99 per month, billed yearly ($44.99 billed monthly).
- StreamYard has a free plan. Castr does not, though it has a free trial.
- Castr also covers multistreaming.
- StreamYard also covers transcription and video editing.
At a glance
| Castr | StreamYard | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | $16.67 per month, billed annually ($19.99 billed monthly) | $35.99 per month, billed yearly ($44.99 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | The essential studio features with a StreamYard logo on streams, monthly streaming limits, limited storage, 2 hours of local recordings a month, 6 on-screen participants and 1 seat. |
| Free trial | 7-day free trial of the Starter plan, no credit card required | 7-day free trial of Core or Advanced |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Castr Live Streaming, Inc. | Bending Spoons |
| Price read from | castr.com | streamyard.com |
| Checked | Oct 18, 2026 | Oct 6, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Castr
- Churches and schools streaming services or events to several platforms
- Broadcasters running a 24/7 channel from pre-recorded video
- Selling access to live streams behind a paywall
StreamYard
- Solo creators running interview shows without a production crew
- Streaming one broadcast to several social platforms at once
- Podcasters who record remote guests on separate tracks
Worth knowing
Castr
- Streams come in from encoder software, hardware or IP cameras; the browser-based Cloud Production switcher is enabled by Castr on request.
- Each plan has a player-bandwidth allowance, and monthly plans get less upfront bandwidth and fewer concurrent streams than annual ones.
- Only Starter has the 7-day trial; the other plans go straight to checkout.
- DRM and native iOS, Android and TV apps for the Events plan are add-ons arranged with sales.
StreamYard
- The Free plan shows a StreamYard logo, limits monthly streaming hours and storage, and cannot stream live and record at the same time.
- Core and Advanced are for individual use only; companies are pointed to separate Business plans sold through sales.
- 4K local recordings, transcript downloads and On-Air webinars need the Advanced plan.
- StreamYard says plan prices can vary with promotions and renewal terms, and its 7-day money-back guarantee covers only the first charge.
Key features
Castr
- Multistreaming
- One RTMP or SRT feed goes out to up to 30 destinations, including YouTube, Facebook pages and groups, Twitch and LinkedIn; TikTok and Instagram connect through custom RTMP.
- Video hosting and player
- An embeddable player with analytics, video storage from 100 GB, and unlimited viewers within each plan's bandwidth allowance.
- Cloud recording and live-to-VOD
- Records streams of up to 72 hours, keeps the recordings for up to three days, and turns live streams into on-demand videos.
- 24/7 playout
- Runs pre-recorded videos as an always-on live channel, like a TV station, on every plan.
- Paywall and monetization
- A paywall comes with every plan, in-stream ads start on Standard, and Events adds subscriptions, pay-per-view and more than 30 payment gateways.
- Ingest protocols and API
- Takes RTSP, RTMP, HLS, MPEG-TS and SRT input, offers pull links from Standard, and adds API access and HLS URLs on Premium.
StreamYard
- Browser studio with remote guests
- Guests join from a browser or phone through a link, with no download or account. Up to 6 people fit on screen on the Free plan and 10 on paid plans.
- Multistreaming
- Send one stream to Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, Twitch and custom RTMP destinations at once: 3 destinations on Core and 8 on Advanced.
- Local recordings
- Each participant's audio and video are recorded on their own device as separate files and uploaded in the background, so a weak connection does not blur the result.
- Show branding
- Paid plans add logos, overlays, video clips, backgrounds, intro and outro videos and more than 16 custom layouts. Custom fonts need Advanced.
- On-Air webinars and pre-recorded streams
- StreamYard On-Air hosts live webinars that can be embedded on your own site. Pre-recorded videos can be streamed as if live: up to 2 hours on Core and 4 on Advanced.
- Clips and repurposing
- Trim and split recordings into short clips for Shorts and Reels inside StreamYard, which is free for all users. AI clips are part of the paid plans.
Plans
Castr
Starter$16.67
per month, billed annually ($19.99 billed monthly)
2 concurrent streams (3 on annual), 6 destinations, 200 GB of player bandwidth a month and 100 GB of video storage.
Standard$41.67
per month, billed annually ($49.99 billed monthly)
10 destinations, 500 GB of bandwidth a month and 200 GB of storage, plus SRT and RTMP pull links and in-stream ads.
Premium$166.67
per month, billed annually ($199.99 billed monthly)
5 streams (10 on annual), 20 destinations, 3 TB of bandwidth, 2 TB of storage, adaptive bitrate, API access and 3 team members.
Ultra$291.67
per month, billed annually ($349.99 billed monthly)
10 streams (15 on annual), 30 destinations, 5 TB of bandwidth, 3 TB of storage, failover ingest and low-latency playback.
Events$624.99
per month, billed annually ($749.99 billed monthly)
A branded OTT web app with a CMS, subscriptions and pay-per-view sales, 15 streams, 30 destinations and 10 TB of bandwidth a month.
EnterpriseCustom
Custom stream, bandwidth and storage allocations, enterprise controls and migration help, arranged with sales.
StreamYard
Free$0
Essential studio features with a StreamYard logo, streaming limits, limited storage, 2 hours of local recordings a month and 6 on-screen participants.
Core$35.99
per month, billed yearly ($44.99 billed monthly)
1080p, no StreamYard logo, multistreaming to 3 destinations, 10 on-screen participants, unlimited streaming and recording, and 50 hours of storage.
Advanced$68.99
per month, billed yearly ($88.99 billed monthly)
Everything in Core plus 4K local recordings, 8 multistream destinations, 15 backstage participants, On-Air webinars for 100 viewers and transcript downloads.
Ways to pay less
Castr
- Annual discount
Two months free with annual billing
Castr's pricing page says annual billing gives 2 months free plus a larger upfront bandwidth pool: Starter is $199.99 a year against $19.99 a month.
StreamYard
- Annual discount
22% off with yearly billing
StreamYard's pricing page labels yearly billing as 22% off. Core is $35.99 a month billed yearly against $44.99 billed monthly, and Advanced is $68.99 against $88.99.
